Another cracking day in the valley but you had to work hard for it with overnight snow showers followed by a bitterly cold north easterly wind keeping the temperature well below freezing for most of the day. Cycling was difficult so I dumped the bike in Dunchurch and joined the sledging brigade briefly on toft hill as I made my way to the pond via toft shallows then on towards Grandborough via the kissing gate before retracing my steps via the Southam Road owl field.
Great-northern Diver: 2 off draycote bank
Smew: male off farborough then draycote bank
Red-crested Pochard: 2 male still
Red-breasted Merganser: female asleep on the north bank
Goosander: 26 seen off draycote bank and 7 males flew over Woolscott
Shelduck: 2 out in centre
Hen Harrier: ringtail back of Leam Valley Golf Centre
Merlin: now 2 females in valley
Sparrowhawk: hunting over beck hill
Peregrine: one over Kites Hardwick
Great Grey Shrike: still present near Grandborough
Stock Dove: 100+ in valley
Raven: one over Grandborough and over pond
Linnet: 400+ in valley
Barn Owl: one off Southam Road
Yellowhammer 25+ in valley
Reed Bunting: 10 in valley
Red-legged Partridge: 2 in valley
Meanwhile my glee of finding the GGS was premature as it’s been in the area since the 2nd but no one considered giving me the heads up. ouch.
-4c tonight with more snow due so valley will be iffy.
Richard
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
Richard,
Can you be more precise about the whereabouts of the GGS around Grandborough?
Thanks
Alan Anscomb
Hill Rd, Grandborough, Park on sharp bend. Follow footpath north. Bird on right after first field. Likes the overhead wires and tall hedges.
Post a Comment